Expanding access to college counseling for all students
NO COST COLLEGE COUNSELING
Barrier Breakers® pairs high-potential, underserved students with expert college counselors completely free of charge. We provide holistic support throughout the preparation and application process. Our goal is to empower more first-generation and low income students to discover and develop their passions, achieve their personal and academic goals, and find success in college and beyond.
Spring 2027 cohort applications open in November.
Barrier Breakers® Scholars Program
Empowering your path to college
The Barrier Breakers College Scholars Program is a no-cost, direct-to-student initiative designed to provide high-potential students with the dedicated mentorship and guidance they need to successfully navigate the college admissions process. Our mission is to deliver life-changing support to students who are highly motivated to succeed but may not currently have access to robust college counseling resources. We define highly motivated students as those who are committed to pursuing their goal of attending college. We do not only admit students with high GPAs. We believe potential comes in many forms.
How it works
To ensure personalized and effective support, we welcome students into this program twice a year:
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Fall Cohort: Kicks off in September (Applications open in June and are due Aug 14).
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Spring Cohort: Kicks off in February (Applications open in November and are due December 31).
The application process
Our application is designed to highlight student commitment and voice. Because we want to work with students who are ready to take charge of their journey, the application requires independent opt-in through three simple steps:
1. Parent/Guardian Consent: A standard information form completed by a parent or legal guardian.
2. Trusted Adult Recommendation: A brief endorsement from a mentor in the student's life—such as a teacher, coach, school counselor, pastor, or social worker.
3. Student Response: A short video or written response where the student shares their thoughts on what commitment means to them, why they want to go to college, and what they hope to gain from a mentor.
What services are provided to Pro Bono Program participants?
Selected participants get full Barrier Breakers® support from 11th grade
through college graduation including:
Expert Admissions Advising
Our team of current and former admissions professionals provide individualized guidance through every stage of the college or graduate school applications. Students meet with counselors bi-weekly.
Persistence Support
Academic advising, mentorship, wellness support and belonging in a community to ensure students stay on track and graduate.
Career Pathways
Exclusive access to internships, employers, coaching and high-mobility career paths - Law & Public policy, STEM & Engineering, Finance, Sustainability and Healthcare - in their college journey.
Graduate & Professional School Advising
Guidance for the next step on their career path - law, medical, business or other graduate school ambitions.
Eligibility Criteria
Our commitment to access
7,000+
students supported on their higher education journey
60%
low-moderate income families served
100%
College acceptance and graduation rate to date.
$490M+
awarded in scholarship aid to our students
98%
of our students receive scholarships
Program-Based Participants
We also partner with select schools and programs to offer college counseling
to specific groups of students free of charge.
OUR PRO BONO ADVISING PROGRAMS
HomeWorks Trenton
HomeWorks Trenton (homeworkstrenton.org) is a nonprofit that provides a supplemental residential after-school program for marginalized girls. Their model combines academic support, leadership development, and identity-driven enrichment. Through our partnership, we walk alongside HomeWorks scholars with expert college advising—from building strong lists and applying to competitive summer programs to writing compelling admissions essays and applying for scholarships. In addition to personalized college advising, we have facilitated the delivery of 14 refurbished iPads to HomeWorks Trenton students, ensuring students were able to access personalized computing devices, and we support the acquisition of vouchers for SAT/ACT prep for the scholars.
Natalie Tung, Executive Director, HomeWorks Trenton
“Our scholars at HomeWorks Trenton, Inc, which focuses on leadership development, academic support, and college readiness, are already working with Barrier Breakers, and we’ve seen firsthand the confidence, clarity, and opportunity that this partnership provides. The alignment between our work and their expertise has strengthened our postsecondary support strategy. We are honored to work alongside Barrier Breakers and fully support their mission, impact, and continued partnership. ”
OUR PRO BONO ADVISING PROGRAMS
UrbanPromise Trenton
UrbanPromise Trenton (urbanpromisetrenton.org) is dedicated to equipping children and teens with the skills, academic support, and spiritual guidance they need to succeed in school and in life. Their mission is to ensure every teen in their program graduates from high school and is prepared for postsecondary success. Through our collaboration, we provide personalized college counseling, persistence coaching, and access to scholarships and internships, building on UrbanPromise’s proven record of supporting students through high school graduation.
